Shiites mistake Kevin Smith's Buddy Christ for a religious symbol.

[KyndCulture]

Sadr City outraged over 'Buddy Jesus'

BAGHDAD: Iraqi Shiite residents of Baghdad's Sadr City expressed anger yesterday over a picture of a grinning Jesus they mistook for a Shiite holy figure that appeared in the area after a joint US-Iraqi operation. Residents found a picture of "Buddy Jesus" from the 1999 film "Dogma" posted in the streets, accompanied by a badly photocopied pamphlet bearing a crude approximation of a US military crest and outlining a US "plan" to subjugate the neighbourhood. "That picture abuses our Imam Mahdi and his holy character, and mocks our sacred figures," said resident Abu Riyam, apparently mistaking the satirical movie still of Jesus for one of Shiite Islam's historical imams, whose images adopt a Jesus-like iconography.
The grinning, winking model of Buddy Jesus giving a thumbs-up sign appeared in the comedy film as a fictional attempt by the Catholic Church to present a kinder and more accessible image of Christianity. "If it wasn't so serious it would be funny," said a coalition spokesman, Major Will Willhoite. The pamphlets outlined a so-called plan to discredit the militias in the sprawling Baghdad slum of two million people, a stronghold of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr.
"Destabilize security in the militia areas with explosions and assassinations to create panic" and "killing, raping and kidnapping women" were all measures the pamphlet recommended to cause people to lose faith in the militias. "Do not tell the suspect militias of these plans, but keep them among friendly forces," admonished the pamphlet. The US military did not confirm that it had conducted an early-morning raid into Sadr City yesterday, but said that an Iraqi force accompanied by coalition advisors did conduct an operation in "northeast" Baghdad. Much of Baghdad's violence has been laid at the feet of Shiite militias, many of whom are based in Sadr City, but US forces have yet to enter the neighbourhood in force. _ AFP


http://rawstory.com/showoutarticle.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kuwaittimes.net%2Fregional.asp%3Fdismode%3Darticle%26artid%3D282578144



:wtf:

[Phredicles]

1. Part of the problem: We've long since exhausted any "benefit of

the doubt" that we may have had in that part of the world.

I don't think anyone could've anticipated that happening. :sarcasm:

[lostnotforgotten]

2. Why Is It That Buddy Jesus Has A Shit Eating Grin Just Like Bush

The likeness in behavior is amazing!

[CJCRANE]

3. That's interesting

that Shi'ites have pictorial representations of some of their holy figures. I've always thought that Shi'ites seem similar to Catholics in some ways - they seem to have the penitence thing in common, and this seems to be another similarity (I guess they have a veneration of saints, or the equivalent, too).

[dogman]

4. How are they mistaken?

Isn't this also the pose of our torturers at Abu Ghraib?

[libodem]

6. Creepy, but I believe you are right,

[mcg]

7. What Does a "Thumbs Up" Mean in Iraq?

see
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http://www.slate.com/id/2080812&h=150&w=205&sz=9&hl=en&start=12&tbnid=OGTxtRZDvMNgUM:&tbnh=77&tbnw=105&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2Bthumbs-up%2B%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DG

... It's true that "thumbs up" traditionally translates as the foulest of Iraqi insults—the most straightforward interpretation is "Up yours, pal!" ...

Yes, the similarity is creepy...
http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2004/Abu-Ghraib-Prison-Photos11jun04.htm

[NoPasaran]

5. Some people just don't know how to take a joke

They'd probably have the same response to Tinky Winky and Sponge Bob as our own radical clerics.